Maledictionem
by FrozenKeyLD
Summary: Leo knew he was cursed, he just didn't know how it started, or how to fix it. All he knew was that it was getting worse. [Spoilers: HoO, PJO][AU, OOC]


Just a quick one shot on our friendly neighborhood pyro-bug.

 _*Cough* Leo Valdez *Cough*_

Ahem… So yeah. Enjoy. Maybe leave a review or a favorite? Whatever works for you.

Did you know that Leo's fatal flaw is inferiority? I never thought too much about it honestly, but it fits pretty well. Poor Leo. He's perhaps one of the most important in the group. Someone has to keep the others smiling, even in the most depressing of times.

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 **Listening to:**

 **Drown (Acoustic) - Austin Jones**

 **9909 - Danger Silent**

 **They somewhat set a good mood for some angst.**

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Additional notes:

I'm still working on PG: Forgotten Soldier. It's just going a bit slow; I'm working out the plot still, adding details. I just got to a point that I may or may not continue with. I may have to rewrite the chapter that I've been working on.

For now this is only one chapter. I may change my mind and make it into a multi chapter thing, but I already have a lot that I'm balancing. If people want more chapters, then maybe I'll slip one in every now and then. But not quite yet.

By the way, Spanish is a second language, and I'm not fluent at it. Sorry if there are mistakes.

Again, any quotes used will be made by myself unless cited otherwise.

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 **Maledictionem**

Language: Latin

Translation: Curse ( _roughly_ )

"' _What's wrong with you, you ask? Generally everyone has a curse that leads off the road of clarity. A better question would be to ask how to cure it.'"_

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Leo wasn't exactly sure when it all started. Perhaps it was genetics, passed on from his father. Maybe it was given by the dirt lady, or even his _Tia_. All he knew was that it was getting worse.

He knew he was cursed. It really hadn't been too hard to figure out. First went his mother, then his _Tia_ Callida who seemed to vanish into thin air. Next went his Aunt Rosa, who was always so nice to him. Leo lost count of how many foster homes he lost, how many friends or family he'd left, never to see again.

It wasn't hard to understand at all. Everything and everyone that he became attached to, that he started to think of as _home_ would have to be left behind. He really had no choice. One moment he could be in the shower, the next he would be halfway across the state with no memory of even packing his back, which always appeared on his shoulder. Someone who was his best friend one day would suddenly turn harsh and violent toward him the next.

It was unnatural, how everything would change in an instant. With or most usually without his consent he would always lose his home. _And he didn't know why._ He had no idea how to stop it, only that it would happen. Leo was cursed to forever be on the run, to never have a home.

Leo should know, he's tried some pretty drastic stuff in hopes of breaking the cycle.

At first he was fine. He acted normal, dressed neatly, and always used his manners like his _madre_ told him to. He usually ended up a few states away by the time he was caught again. Then he tried being distant; he never talked, never smiled, never made a sound. Then the seemingly happy foster family would 'mistakenly' lock him in a room for a few days. He would happily run away again.

Eventually he gave up. He reverted back to his no-regrets lifestyle, popping jokes every few minutes and laughing along like his world wasn't as messed up as he thought it was.

He still found himself running away, but the timeframe between each of them was much longer than his previous experiences. He still kept himself somewhat distant, if only to stop relationships from turning so horribly sour.

And so, when he found himself at the Wilderness School, he was rather surprised when he made such fast friends with a girl named Piper and a boy named Jason. He was known for being infuriatingly annoying, and so when he found people who could deal with his constant chattering he was pleased.

But good things never last. Jason lost his memory, he nearly went ka-splat on the bottom of a canyon, and he was forced to leave the memorable place behind as a group of people, apparently from some camp, decided they were special.

He thought for a moment that perhaps they were cursed too. But no, not in the same way that he was. He learned once he was 'claimed' by his _padre_ that all demigods had a fatal flaw. Hubris was a popular one for Athena, as was vanity in the children of Aphrodite. Both personality traits; most flaws were.

His curse was definitely not his flaw. He wasn't sure what it was, exactly.

Leo knew, though, that eventually he would have to move on. He had to, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

It was almost a blessing to be part of the quest. Not quite, but close. Part of him was glad to get away from the constant worrying and painful waiting of his next swap. He wasn't sure where he'd end up next. Maryland? Rhode Island, maybe?

But then again, perhaps the quest _was_ the switch. Maybe he wouldn't make it back. Perhaps he would be left behind, or thrown off his new best friend, Festus the dragon. Maybe he would be incapacitated by a monster, or he would lose his memory like Jason and go to a mental hospital.

He tried to leave those thoughts behind as Festus gave a firm stroke of his wings, lifting off from the ground. He should've known better though.

They followed right behind, poking at the back of his mind, seemingly draining the energy from him.

By the time they'd reached the home of Boreas he was completely exhausted. He put up his mask though. A joke here, a smile there and no one noticed.

Well, no one but Calais. The Boread was actually much more observant than he let on, and so when the others went upstairs to speak with Boreas, Cal stayed behind.

Leo was rather thankful when the immortal showed him where he could get his clothes washed and a chair where he could rest. It was interesting in the least, trying to decipher Cal's two syllable word structures and short sentences, but Leo got the jist of it.

He let his head rest on the back of the chair and his eyes close as the Boread spoke in a quiet voice. He spoke of sports, food, then old friends; Argonauts. When Leo drifted off, he wasn't offended despite his violent nature at their first introductions. With a simple smile he went to collect Leo's clothes, now washed and dried, wrinkle free. Cal magicked the clothes on his new friend and let him rest.

It hadn't taken a genius to see how tired the son of Hephaestus was. Circles traveled around his eyes, though only a shade or so darker than his actual skin tone. His movements were sluggish, and his grins seemed strained.

When Cal sensed this siblings and the rest of the demigod's group, he woke Leo. With a small frenzy of motion, Calais fell into his guarding impression while Leo went to sit upon the small briefcase Festus.

No one was the wiser, and the two shared a glance before departing. One spoke with words of gratitude, one spoke back with a simple _no problem_.

* * *

When the group had finally made it to the Wolf House and freed Hera, Leo was suspicious. The little curse in the back of his mind had fallen silent. From past experience that usually meant that something was going to happen. Something bad, devastating. What would it be? Would he vanish again? Lose the favor of his friends, no strike that, his _family_?

Then it roared up, the pain in his head causing him to gasp and close his eyes. A millisecond later came Hera's voice, then a bright light against his eyelids. The pain receded, the light moments after it, and he opened his eyes to see his brother in all but blood lying on the ground, eyes closed and skin pale.

He felt his heart plummet. Then so abruptly a pain in his chest. His heart stuttered, paused, then continued on.

"He's breathing!"

How so ironic; a dead man breathing, a live man not.

Then, breath in, out. Short, quiet pants as he approached to stand behind Piper.

"Wake up, Jason."

And ever so impossibly, he did. Sure, his eyes were supernova's for a second, but he was _alive_.

But Leo felt broken. The pain in his chest lingered, jolting when minuted later they were forced back to the camp.

A sharp pain, then liquid running up his throat. He barely made it to a brazier before it came up and out. A most powerful sacrifice indeed, even if it was not willingly given.

Not vomit, but deep dark crimson blood fell and sizzled. sending a burst of power back at him. There was, after all, no more powerful sacrifice than the blood of the gods.

He made sure that there was no evidence of scarlet on his lips before turning to the stares of the campers.

Perhaps he wouldn't be forced to move quite yet. He hadn't been at camp long enough for it to really be a home, and he was paying plenty already.

When he was alone he took a bit of ambrosia, but the pain didn't vanish. Not completely.

Perhaps the pain would suffice. Maybe the curse accepted that. Leo was sure that the curse caused it in the first place, anyway.

Ignoring the dull pain in his head, his heart, Leo made his way to Bunker 9. He would continue on. He'd had various masks before, he could deal with having a few more.

Yes, Leo Valdez would deal with his pain, because he had dealt with it all before. If it was the price of having a home, then he would gladly pay it.

And perhaps one day, he would find a cure.

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Translations:

 _Tia:_ Aunt

 _Madre:_ Mother

 _Padre:_ Father

Nothing too impressive there. No worries. Apologies for any errors, by the way.

So yeah. Leave a review or two. Favorite, follow, whatever you wish. As I stated at the top I may continue with this but not unless you guys think it should go on.

Thanks

-FKLD


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